News, commentary, and insights on adventures, and adventurers, from around the globe.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Video: Climbing the Great Pyramid of Giza

A few days ago I posted a video of an urban climber ascending a tower in Dubai. Today, we have another urban climber, but this time he's going up one of the most iconic structures ever built - the Great Pyramid at Giza. The view from the top is pretty spectacular, but I have some pretty mixed emotions about this one. Hopefully this doesn't become a trend, as these pyramids are over 4500 years old and are the last of the Seven Wonders of the World that remain. Keeping people from damaging them should be a priority.

I looked some more, and that particular climb has some comments on a website (http://gizmodo.com/its-a-quick-and-illegal-climb-to-get-to-the-top-of-gi-1756258463):

Ciesielski claimed that the trip up only took eight minutes, but another twenty to each the bottom.

Walking around in the complex I was waiting for the right moment to start climbing The Great Pyramid of Giza. When I started climbing a street seller was standing behind me but I didn’t care about him I turned around he laughed and I continued climbing.

At the half some people got attention on me and looked up to. That’s how the police spotted me. They shouted something in Arabic I think but I didn’t care and kept going while listening to music.The Great Pyramid is open to the public, but visitors are forbidden from climbing the structure: watching the video, it’s clear why: it’s rough, dangerous and given the attraction to the site, continual climbing would degrade the structure. That said, it’s an interesting view of something most everyone sees from a distance.

Egyptian police caught the youth when he reached the bottom, but was released after questioning.

Hans: I was about to post that when I have been to the Great Pyramids in the past – most recently last year – it was forbidden to climb to the top, but I seen you've already found that out. I'm glad that they discourage it, and this climber was lucky that no charges were pressed.